Greetings and a warm welcome to the December 2023 edition of the
MVTA Member News!
We trust that you had a delightful Holiday Season spent with your loved ones. As we embark on this New Year, the MVTA Board of Directors extends their heartfelt wishes for a prosperous year filled with abundant blessings for you and your team.
The year 2024 holds significant importance for our industry. In mid-January, we will welcome the new MVTA Board of Directors, marking the beginning of discussions aimed at modernizing our ERT Contracts and Title Agency Licensing Procedures. We eagerly anticipate engaging in dialogues with our members on these crucial topics, with the aim of enhancing the entry process into the title agent industry.
As we celebrate the upcoming New Year, we would also like to express our profound gratitude to our sponsors: Dealertrack, FAST Enterprises, and Chesapeak Shredding. Without Dealertrack’s unwavering support, this event would not have been possible. Their partnership is integral to the success of our Member’s Tag and Title companies.
Are you prepared for SCANuary? Remember to begin uploading to the state starting January 1st, 2024! Furthermore, Dealertrack has recently made a significant enhancement for our membership in December. You can now upload up to 10 MB of data, a substantial increase from the previous limit of 2 MB. This development is fantastic news for SCANuary!
Take proactive steps and remind your title clerks that they are fully equipped to process and upload their documents electronically, following these steps: Process the deal, scan the required documents mandated by MVA, upload them in your Dealertrack ERT system, select “Submit to State,” and retain the original title, title reassignments, letter of corrections for title errors, odometer statements, and power of attorneys in their original paper format for one year before keeping them in electronic format for two years prior to disposal.
Here’s a sneak peek at some upcoming MVTA events for our valued members in 2024:
Date: 1/12/24
Time: 10-11 AM
Event Name: SCORE Mentor Virtual Meet Up
Virtual
Date: 1/18/24
Time: 8-9 AM or 11-12 PM
Event Name: Organizational and Personalized Tag Training
Virtual
Date: 2/15/24
Time: 11-12 PM
Event Name: DHCD Small Business Lending Programs
Virtual
Date: 2/20/24
Time: 9-3
Event Name: Regional Training Glen Burnie
In Person
Date: 3/14/24
Time: 1-4 PM
Event Name: IRP Training
In Person
Date: 3/21
Time: 9-11 AM
Event Name: MVA Fraud
In Person
Date: 4/TBD
Time: 1-3 PM
Event Name: Notary
In Person
Date: 4/25
Time: 9-3
Event Name: Regional Training Hagerstown
In Person
Date: 5/14
Time: 7-8 PM
Event Name: MVTA Q&A
Virtual
Date: 5/23
Time: 9-11 AM
Event Name: MVA Fraud
In Person
Date: 6/18
Time: 9-3
Event Name: Regional Training North Baltimore (White Marsh/Towson)
In Person
Date: 7/18
Time: 9-11 AM
Event Name: MVA Fraud
In Person
Date: 8/13
Time: 7-8 PM
Event Name: MVTA Q&A
Virtual
Date: 8/27
Time: 9-3
Event Name: Regional Training Cambridge
In Person
Date: 9/12
Time: 6-9 PM
Event Name: MVTA Banquet Dinner and Annual Business Meeting
In Person
Date: 9/19
Time: 9-11 AM
Event Name: MVA Fraud
In Person
Date: 11/12
Time: 7-8 PM
Event Name: MVTA Q&A
Virtual
Don’t forget to visit our Facebook Page to RSVP for these upcoming events as members. If you encounter any issues signing in on our membership page or don’t have access to Facebook, please email your RSVP to beth@mvta.org.
MVTA BY LAW Updates:
Following thorough review throughout 2023, the Board of Directors is delighted to announce the adoption of the amendments shared with the full membership in November. Once the final draft is prepared, the MVTA By Laws will be redistributed to the full membership for documentation.
Delaware Title Work Training held in November 2023:
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the members who attended the comprehensive training certification class at the Delaware DMV in Dover, Delaware. We greatly appreciate the partnership that allowed us to offer this inaugural class, which is the first of many aimed at helping our members learn how to effectively process title work in their respective jurisdictions. The color training manual will be available in January under resources in the MVTA Member Portal Website.
If you are interested in DE Training, please email Beth for information on future classes at beth@mvta.org.
MVA Updates:
The MVTA Board, in collaboration with the MVA Team, has been hard at work developing Best Practices around MDID Requests. We are adding the final touches and seeking input on the non-photo questions recently posted on our Facebook Group. Stay tuned for the release of these Best Practices in January 2024.
As a reminder, this year Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman was a special speaker at our Annual Meeting and invited the MVTA Board to meet in Q1 2024 to delve into the details of the comptroller office’s flagging issues and the process of refunding money to our small businesses. We recently shared examples of recent changes regarding refunds displaying driver license and title numbers coming from the Maryland Comptroller’s office with the MVA. We eagerly anticipate the involvement of our NEW Board of Directors in these crucial conversations. In the meantime, if you have encountered issues with a refund or flag, please share your experiences with us for immediate feedback in preparation for the upcoming meeting. You can email us at beth@mvta.org.
As a regular feature in each newsletter, here are some useful MVA contacts to have readily available:
Glen Burnie Branch Phone Number: 410.424.3625
Remember to report ERT errors or processing issues to Dealertrack first at 877.357.8725
For Title Agent Services Help at MVA, email mddtts@mdot.maryland.gov
Don’t forget to submit corrections through your MVA Business Portal
VEIP Flag Extensions and Removal Requests:
We continue to assist the Vehicle Emissions Unit in processing requests from our members due to limited online access to MVA products. The MVTA is actively collaborating with the MVA to establish a more efficient method for processing flag releases without delay by addressing the correction of their online links. Please continue sending your requests to: beth@mvta.org.
MVA Fraud Training Schedule Release:
The MVA has just unveiled its 2024 schedule for Fraud Training. If you haven’t already attended this training with your staff, you are missing out on valuable information to safeguard your tag and title agency from fraudulent activities. The training dates for 2024 are as follows:
January 18th, 2024
March 21st, 2024
May 23rd, 2024
July 18th, 2024
September 19th, 2024
November 21st, 2024
You can click here to access and print this bulletin for your office.
Dealertrack Partnership Updates:
In case you encounter an error or transaction problem, Dealertrack Customer Support is here to assist. Be sure to keep this number saved: 877.357.8725.
As we approach the New Year, the MVTA would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to Dealertrack, our Preferred ERT Partner, for their unwavering support at our Member Meet-ups held across the State of Maryland. We also express our appreciation for their sponsorship and ongoing support throughout the year.
Lastly, don’t forget to participate in the Dealertrack Monthly Virtual Trainings with Amity. These trainings are highly recommended for first-year title agents and business owners. Be on the lookout for posts about sign-up links and training dates on the MVTA Facebook Group Page and in your Dealertrack Message of the Day!
MVTA Membership Dues Invoices emailed on 12/29/2023:
Please check your email boxes for your online invoice for the 2024 membership dues payment. The MVTA Board of Directors has recently introduced a payment plan option for members interested in spreading the total dues payment over a period of time. For more information, please email us at info@mvta.org or beth@mvta.org.
MVTA Membership Survey for 2023:
December is always a busy month, but our preparations for 2024’s events and training continue. We value your input and would like to hear from you. Please take a moment to complete the MVTA’s 2023 Member Survey. Your participation is a fantastic opportunity to provide insights from the perspective of Maryland Tag and Title Agents. As this working group progresses, the Board of Directors will keep you updated.
We extend our heartfelt thanks for your ongoing support and for being part of the Maryland Tag and Titles Agency network. We wish all of you well as we grow together in the upcoming New Year!
Warm regards,
The MVTA Board of Directors
Beth Caro, Chairman – beth@mvta.org
Lisa Thompas, Vice Chairman – lisa@mvta.org
Dawn Mathis, General Member – dawn@mvta.org
Wendy May, Executive Director – info@mvta.org